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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 86

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter LXXXVI.—There are various figures in the Old Testament of the wood of the cross by which Christ reigned.

And when I had quoted this, I added

‹ Chapter 85 Chapter 87 ›

,

“

Hear

,

then

,

how

this

Man

,

of

whom

the

Scriptures

declare

that

He

will

come

again

in

glory

after

His

crucifixion

,

was

symbolized

both

by

the

tree

of

life

,

which

was

said

to

have

been

planted

in

paradise

,

and

by

those

events

which

should

happen

to

all

the

just

.

Moses

was

sent

with

a

rod

to

effect

the

redemption

of

the

people

;

and

with

this

in

his

hands

at

the

head

of

the

people

,

he

divided

the

sea

.

By

this

he

saw

the

water

gushing

out

of

the

rock

;

and

when

he

cast

a

tree

into

the

waters

of

Marah

,

which

were

bitter

,

he

made

them

sweet

.

Jacob

,

by

putting

rods

into

the

water

-

troughs

,

caused

the

sheep

of

his

uncle

to

conceive

,

so

that

he

should

obtain

their

young

.

With

his

rod

the

same

Jacob

boasts

that

he

had

crossed

the

river

.

He

said

he

had

seen

a

ladder

,

and

the

Scripture

has

declared

that

God

stood

above

it

.

But

that

this

was

not

the

Father

,

we

have

proved

from

the

Scriptures

.

And

Jacob

,

having

poured

oil

on

a

stone

in

the

same

place

,

is

testified

to

by

the

very

God

who

appeared

to

him

,

that

he

had

anointed

a

pillar

to

the

God

who

appeared

to

him

.

And

that

the

stone

symbolically

proclaimed

Christ

,

we

have

also

proved

by

many

Scriptures

;

and

that

the

unguent

,

whether

it

was

of

oil

,

or

of

stacte

,

or

of

any

other

compounded

sweet

balsams

,

had

reference

to

Him

,

we

have

also

proved

,

inasmuch

as

the

word

says

:

‘

Therefore

God

,

even

Thy

God

,

hath

anointed

Thee

with

the

oil

of

gladness

above

Thy

fellows

.

’

For

indeed

all

kings

and

anointed

persons

obtained

from

Him

their

share

in

the

names

of

kings

and

anointed

:

just

as

He

Himself

received

from

the

Father

the

titles

of

King

,

and

Christ

,

and

Priest

,

and

Angel

,

and

such

like

other

titles

which

He

bears

or

did

bear

.

Aaron’s

rod

,

which

blossomed

,

declared

him

to

be

the

high

priest

.

Isaiah

prophesied

that

a

rod

would

come

forth

from

the

root

of

Jesse

,

[

and

this

was

]

Christ

.

And

David

says

that

the

righteous

man

is

‘

like

the

tree

that

is

planted

by

the

channels

of

waters

,

which

should

yield

its

fruit

in

its

season

,

and

whose

leaf

should

not

fade

.

’

Again

,

the

righteous

is

said

to

flourish

like

the

palm

-

tree

.

God

appeared

from

a

tree

to

Abraham

,

as

it

is

written

,

near

the

oak

in

Mamre

.

The

people

found

seventy

willows

and

twelve

springs

after

crossing

the

Jordan

.

David

affirms

that

God

comforted

him

with

a

rod

and

staff

.

Elisha

,

by

casting

a

stick

into

the

river

Jordan

,

recovered

the

iron

part

of

the

axe

with

which

the

sons

of

the

prophets

had

gone

to

cut

down

trees

to

build

the

house

in

which

they

wished

to

read

and

study

the

law

and

commandments

of

God

;

even

as

our

Christ

,

by

being

crucified

on

the

tree

,

and

by

purifying

[

us

]

with

water

,

has

redeemed

us

,

though

plunged

in

the

direst

offences

which

we

have

committed

,

and

has

made

[

us

]

a

house

of

prayer

and

adoration

.

Moreover

,

it

was

a

rod

that

pointed

out

Judah

to

be

the

father

of

Tamar’s

sons

by

a

great

mystery

.

”

Notes

339
[Myrrh. Christ the (Anointed) Rock is also referred to by Jacob (Gen. xlix. 24).]
340
In chap. lxiii. probably, where the same Psalm is quoted.
341
Ps. xlv. 7.
342
Ps. i. 3.
343
The Red Sea, not the Jordan. [Ex. xv. 27.]
344
Literally, “a tree.”